Liver steatosis influence on trend of acute and chronic rheumatic heart disease

Abstract

Little is known about the association of hepatic steatosis with acute rheumatic fever and chronic rheumatic heart disease, although it can be considered a risk factor for valvular heart disease in an independent multivariate regression analysis. The aim: to assess the presence of hepatic steatosis in patients with acute rheumatic fever and chronic rheumatic heart disease and to identify clinical and laboratory differences in its presence. Material and methods. We examined 102 patients, including 58 with acute rheumatic fever (RF) (16 males, 42 females; mean age 34.7 years) and 44 with chronic rheumatic heart disease (CRHD) (25 males, 19 females; mean age 54.0 years), who underwent surgical correction of heart disease. Depending on the presence of hepatic steatosis, the patients were divided into 2 comparable groups: G1 — 59 patients with hepatic steatosis (RF: n=27; 9 males, 18 females; mean age 39.1 years; CRHD: n=32; 18 males, 14 females; mean age 55.6 years); G0 — 43 patients with intact liver (RF: n=31; 7 males, 24 females, mean age 30.4 years; CRHD: n=12; 7 males, 5 females; mean age 52.0 years). The results were processed using Student’s t-test. Results. Liver steatosis was diagnosed in 46.55% of patients with acute RF. Among patients with rheumatic heart disease, liver steatosis was significantly more common (72.73%, p<0.05). Liver steatosis led to the activation of systemic inflammation (with an increase in C-reactive protein and total fibrinogen) and a deterioration in the structural and functional parameters of the heart in both acute and chronic rheumatic processes. According to the correlation analysis, the progression of liver steatosis with an increase in liver functional parameters (especially alanine aminotransferase) was associated with dyslipidemia and even more pronounced structural changes in the heart, which is unfavorable for patients with acute rheumatic fever and chronic rheumatic heart disease. Conclusion. Liver steatosis is a frequent companion of acute rheumatic fever and especially chronic rheumatic heart disease. It is associated with activation of inflammation, dyslipidemia, and more pronounced structural changes in the heart.